Buddhism, Queer Identity, and Where Indonesian Buddhists Stand on the LGBTQ+ Issue
Understanding Buddhism’s perspective and stand on gender diversity
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God created Adam and Eve.
This sentence seems to be everyone’s trump card in persecuting people with different sexual orientation that we know today by the acronym LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more identities). They are seen as great sinners who disobey God and nature.
In Indonesia, a highly conservative and religious country, this negative sentiment is often followed by a cry declaring, “LGBTQ+ is not approved by all religions.” Is that so? Either the ones saying that live in caves or they simply lie to further their hateful agenda, I have no idea. The truth is, even in Indonesia, there is a religion that stands neutral and even welcomes queers i.e. Buddhism.
If you’re an Indonesian reader and you start wondering how can a religion tolerate such ‘aberration’, keep reading as we discover how exactly Buddhism views the LGBTQ+ issue. What did Lord Buddha say on the matter? We will also look into how Indonesian Buddhists have navigated their stance amidst unaccepting society.
